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Practice to Deceive	By : SailorSol Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 12424 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
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Disclaimer: Any characters & situations you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling. Any characters you don�t recognize belong to me. You can borrow them, but email me first and check on the characters.

Author�s Note: This story is AU after book 5. It contains NO REFERENCES to book 6 or 7 in any way, shape or form.

CHAPTER 18: YULETIDE

When they arrived at Castlemoor Manor, a house elf greeted them at the door, and several other elves swarmed out to take baggage out of the carriage and escort all of them into the manor.

Once inside, the house elves escorted them into the parlor and plied the new arrivals with hot chocolate and tea, along with a tray of toasted sandwiches, biscuits, and hot broth.

They all wandered around the ground floor, marveling at the decorating the house elves had done, and speculating about some anonymous packages under the large decorated tree that dominated the parlor.

While the others were eating, Astrid pulled her shrunken trunk out of her pocket and enlarged it. While everyone watched, she pulled several brightly wrapped gifts out of one of the compartments and carried them over to the tree in the corner. She placed the gifts under the tree and then turned her attention to some wooden cases that were stacked nearby.

�This will give us something to do,� she said. �The house elves found the Christmas cookbooks and special table settings that the Evans family used every year.

She turned to everyone else, smiling broadly.

�Now we�ll find out what everyone likes best, won�t we?� she said.

***** *****

Hours later, they had a menu together for Christmas dinner, and for the breakfast that would precede it. The elves were enthusiastically baking in preparation for the holiday.

Astrid and Lilith rearranged some of the decorations to suit themselves, and then looked at each other and smiled when a knock sounded on the front door.

They watched a house elf scurry to answer the door, and then return with four cloaked and hooded people following them.

Astrid rose to her feet quickly, and hurried forward to hug each of them in turn, spending less time on the embrace as she went on.

Lilith was getting up to greet the new arrivals when Harry came into the room, along with his partners.

�Hello, Tom,� Harry said. �Nice to see you again.�

�And you as well, Harry,� Voldemort said, removing his cloak. �We were invited to spend Christmas here at the Manor.�

�That�s fine,� Harry said. �Nothing to worry about.�

�Nothing?� one of the other figures removed their cloak, revealing Rudolphus Lestrange. �I believe that one of your friends and I need to have a talk.�

�We were on opposite sides then,� Hermione said. �I don�t hold it against you. If you try something like that again, let�s just say that one of my future husbands has taught me a few hexes that even you won�t know the counters for.� She gestured to where Viktor stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder. She did not budge from her flanking position behind Harry.

�Enough, Rudolphus,� Voldemort said. �We are all friends here, and we are all on the same side. Be pleasant to our young friends.�

�Be pleasant to my cousin, Rudolphus,� Astrid said. �Lilith and I have proof that Harry�s blood is as pure as yours. As for anything else, you WILL be civil under our roof, or I will turn you out myself.�

�No,� Lilith said, coming up next to her. �The house will turn him out if he is rude to one of the blood. I�m sure he�s familiar with the way ancestral homes work. He had one himself, until he was put in Azkaban.�

�As long as Miss Granger does not hold a grudge,� Rudolphus said. �I have some items to place under the tree.�

�I have an early gift for Miss Granger and Miss Weasley,� Bellatrix said. �Please excuse us for a few moments.� She beckoned to Hermione and Ginny, and swept away, leading them out of the parlor.

�What is she giving Hermione and Ginny?� Harry asked.

�Probably beauty spells,� Astrid said. �You have to admit, Bella is beautiful, even if it has overtones of imbalanced.�

�Okay,� Harry said. �As long as the present isn�t a Crucio or something.�

�Never,� Astrid said. �They�re family,now. Bella won�t do anything to harm them. In fact, she�ll kill to protect them.�

***** *****

Several hours later, after dinner, they settled in the parlor for the evening. Max poured drinks for everyone, and both Astrid and her sister became the subjects of intense scrutiny when they refused a glass of wine or brandy and opted for eggnog without alcohol, instead.

�Is something wrong?� Voldemort wanted to know.

The two sisters exchanged glances, and then Astrid looked over to where Severus sat, with Sarah in his lap. Near him, Bellatrix was cuddling Kevin and singing lullabies to him as she slowly rocked him to sleep. Heather was leaning next to her, already soundly asleep.

Michael and Matthew were sitting in one corner, being tutored in wizards� chess by Rudolphus and Rabistan. Clarissa was fearlessly sitting in Voldemort�s lap, petting Nagini.

�Nothing�s wrong, Father,� Astrid said, smiling reassuringly at him. �I�ve been assured by Madam Pomfrey that I am in excellent health. I just can�t have any alcohol, brew any dangerous or experimental potions, or do any dueling for the next seven months.�

�Seven months?� Voldemort asked. �What could possibly keep you from your potions for seven months? Are you certain that you are well?�

�Very well, Father,� she said, smiling. �Those are just standard restrictions for a witch that is going to have a baby.�

In the silence that followed her words, it was possible to hear the house elves in the kitchen.

�Did I hear you correctly?� Voldemort asked. �Are you bearing a child?�

�Yes, father,� she said. �Madam Pomfrey told me that I�m having twins. If you�re interested, Lilith is also pregnant.�

�Have you determined parentage, yet?� Voldemort asked.

�No,� Astrid said. �Considering that they were conceived after the Rite, these children could have three fathers, like Lilith and I do. It�s not outside the realm of possibility.�

�True,� Voldemort said. �When will you know?�

�We�ve decided that we don�t want to know,� Lilith answered for both of them. �We�ll find out when they�re born, and not until. For right now, Astrid and I are just deliriously happy that we�re having babies.�

�Yes,� Astrid said. �Dumbledore definitely stopped twinkling for several moments. Potter looked like he was going to burst something.�

�Have you had any luck figuring out the Veil?� Bellatrix asked softly. Kevin was dead weight in her arms.

�Actually, yes,� Astrid said. �Interestingly enough, we have direct evidence that it doesn�t go where the Ministry thinks it does.�

�Oh, really,� Bellatrix said, smiling. �Do tell, my dear.�

Astrid looked over to where the other quintet were sitting, and growled at the dark gray dog laying at Harry�s feet.

The dog sighed, raised itself from its resting place, and padded over to them.

�The jig�s up, Snuffles,� Astrid said. �Show yourself.�

The dog looked at her, sighed, and then it sat down. Before the astonished eyes of the other occupants of the room, it gradually turned into the squatted form of Sirius Black.

Bellatrix recovered from her astonishment first.

�Sirius!� she breathed softly.

He looked towards her and his lips curled in a smile.

�Hello, Bella,� he said. �No hard feelings about that little stunner,�

�It shouldn�t have sent you through the veil,� she said. �I only meant to stun you.�

�Something hit me in the back of the legs,� Sirius said. �Considering what I�ve seen and heard since my return, I don�t think it was your fault. No hard feelings, cousin.�

�Thank you, Sirius,� she said. �I never understood why you changed so abruptly when we got into school. Now, you�re more like the Sirius I remember.�

�Dumbledore bewitched me,� Sirius said. �He was on the train. After that, James could do no wrong. I�ve already apologized to Severus for what I did when we were in school.�

�Where do your loyalties lie now, Lord Black?� Voldemort asked.

Instead of replying, Sirius moved the neckline of his shirt so that everyone could see the mark on his collarbone.

�I don�t believe I understand,� Voldemort said. �What is that mark?�

�It�s my mark, Father,� Astrid said. �I decided that, if I was to be successful in assisting you, I should develop something that only those in the know would realize was a binding mark. We call ourselves the Serpent�s Tooth. Sirius likes to call us the Death Eater�s Assistance League.�

The room was quiet for a moment, and then Voldemort smiled. Bellatrix smiled as well, and then she started giggling like a schoolgirl. Her giggling was quickly drowned out when Voldemort started laughing. He laughed, with Clarissa staring up at him quizzically, until tears streamed down his cheeks.

�Death Eater�s Assistance League,� he said when he could finally speak again. �That is truly amusing, Lord Black! That is possibly the most amusing thing I have heard in quite some time, and certainly since my return!�

�I was being flippant at the time,� Sirius said, smiling. �I never could resist making a wisecrack.�

�Life around you will certainly never be dull,� Voldemort said, smiling. Then, he became serious again.

�Do you think that your werewolf friend will join you, or at least stay neutral?� he asked. �I would not like to have to make a target of the friend of an ally or vassal.�

�Remus is more than my friend,� Sirius said. �Yes, he will join me. His first loyalty was always to me. He put up with James and Peter because of me.�

�I think it is time for Wormtail to come out of hiding,� Voldemort said. �He is still useful to me, so I will not surrender him, but I will make certain that he is seen clearly. Once it is made clear that he is still alive, then the Ministry will have no choice but to open an inquiry.�

�I�d appreciate that,� Sirius said. �It would be nice to be a free man, again.�

TBC
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Practice to Deceive